#auckes

“I have to admit,” Zofia says, “one of the best parts about living in Kaer Morhen is not having to do my own laundry anymore.” She whacks the sodden shirt in her hands against the rock one more time and stands up with a grunt.

“The laundresses are damn nice to have,” Auckes agrees. He’s scrubbing at a particularly persistent stain on a pair of trousers with a bit of harsh lye soap, and his shaven head glistens in the sunlight. “Worth their weight in silver at least.”

Zofia hangs her shirt up on a convenient tree branch and sprawls out on the mossy bank of the river with a sigh. “I am so very fuckin’ glad I didn’t end up as a laundress. At least when you’re a merc you don’t have to go fight the battle again the next week because it got dirty.”

Auckes snorts. “Wouldn’t that be a clusterfuck.” He grimaces down at the trousers. “Fuck it anyhow.” He steps out of the water to drape the trousers next to Zofia’s shirt on the tree branch, then looms over her, grinning toothily. “Got any plans while we wait for those to dry?”

“Thought I’d take a nap,” Zofia says, lacing her hands together behind her head and grinning back up at him. “Unless you’ve got a better idea.”

“Might do,” Auckes says, dropping gracefully to one knee and bracing a hand next to her head as he leans down. “Might just do.”

“I could be convinced,” Zofia laughs, tilting her head up for a kiss.

Some time later, she looks at the grass stains on the back of the shirt she had been wearing and snorts. “So I guess we’re doing laundry again.”

Auckes chuckles. “Oops.”

“Oops,” Zofia sighs, and grins at him. “Gimme the damn soap.”

There is one more bandit than Auckes expected, and the extra one has a crossbow.

There’s a terrible, frozen moment as the bolt slams into Zofia’s shoulder. She lets out a grunt, stumbling backwards, her sword falling from her hand.

The bandits surge forward, clearly emboldened by this triumph.

Auckes had been enjoying the fight - had been attempting to disarm rather than slay his opponents, both for the challenge and because these days Witchers aren’t supposed to kill humans without good reason - but the smell of Zofia’s blood, copper-hot and horrible, changes the entire shape of the battle.

He roars.

The bandit he’s facing falls back a step, eyes widening. There are a dozen of them, and they clearly thought a dozen bandits would be enough to overpower one Witcher and one human warrior.

They have never seen a Viper fight to defend someone before.

Auckes draws a dagger with his off hand and launches it at the crossbowman, who goes down with the blade sticking out of his throat, and even as he throws the dagger he lashes out backhand with his sword and sends his current opponent’s head and body in opposite directions. And then he leaps into the knot of bandits advancing on Zofia, sword flashing faster than human eyes can see.

He kills nine of them in the time it takes them to breathe twice.

He whirls to find that Zofia has dropped to the ground to scoop her sword up in her off hand and managed a perfect stop-lunge from her knees; the last bandit has his hands wrapped around the blade sunk through his guts, and his mouth open in a soundless gasp of shock and pain.

Auckes takes his head off without pausing, drops his sword, and falls to his knees beside Zofia.

“I’ve…had worse,” she says weakly, letting go of her sword and reaching up to touch the bolt still standing out of her shoulder.

“I’ll get you to Triss,” Auckes says, yanking the crystal from his neck and snapping it. “Just…don’t die on me.”

“Not getting rid of me that easily,” Zofia assures him. Auckes gathers her up in his arms, trying not to jar the bolt, and cradles her close.

He’s lost brothers before, he’s nearly died himself, and it has never filled him with such fear and fury as seeing that bolt slam home in Zofia’s shoulder. “Don’t die,” he rasps again as a portal spirals open.

“I won’t,” Zofia whispers, and lifts a shaking hand to brush his cheek. He’s weeping, he realizes.

He didn’t know he could weep anymore.

He stands and carries her through the portal at a run, heading for Triss’s workroom, holding his bleeding lover close and clinging to her promise: She won’t die.

She won’t. She can’t.

See hi-res version here: patreon.com/posts/68935494

Modern AU Witcher! I've had this in WIP slowly chipping away at completing this for almost a month and finally finished it!!

I was inspired by the manga 'The Way of the Househusband' and couldn't help imagining Letho as an ex-gang leader who decided to quit and become a full time single father for two boys (Auckes and Serrit) who were also ex-gang members Letho was part of. Also may or may not be a romcom with another retired gang member, Eskel >w> I continue to make Lil' Bleaters the excuse for these two to interact a;lskdjfsdf

@freckledsaint kept showing me photos of dads going fishing and so I had to draw Letho taking his boys out camping and fishing >w<;

I also saw  @justhereforeskel's post of Letho and Eskel in casual wear and fell in love! I wanted to try putting them in modern clothes too XD